Overview
Dissertation A is the first of two honours dissertation units (note: the dissertation is a single document; the enrolment is divided into Dissertation A and Dissertation B for ease of administration only). The dissertation will demonstrate an appropriate level of mastery at honours standard in the chosen discipline (such as creative writing, digital media, geography & environmental studies, history, literary & cultural studies, music, professional communication and sociology). The dissertation will normally be at least 15,000 and no more than 20,000 words long. Students cannot complete the honours course without an appropriate supervisor and an approved topic (in the first instance, students should consult with the head of the honours course). Details of the specific learning outcomes, set texts and readings, materials and assessment, which will depend on the chosen topic, will be negotiated with the supervisor.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Students must have successfully completed HONS28001 Research Proposal and HONS28002 Debates in the Discipline before undertaking this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2024
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 12-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 25 hours of study per week, making a total of 300 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
- Analyse and explain advanced and current specialist knowledge from selected disciplinary perspectives;
- Identify, analyse and evaluate discipline relevant problems and articulate the critical debates surrounding them;
- Communicate cogent arguments and/or research results in appropriate formats;
- Research and deploy evidence, under supervisory guidance, at honours dissertation level; and,
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 100% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | ||||
| 2 - Communication | ||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | ||||
| 4 - Research | ||||
| 5 - Self-management | ||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | ||||
| 7 - Leadership | ||||
| 8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing styles below:
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
m.hewson@cqu.edu.au
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1 Written Assessment
Students should consult with their nominated supervisor for full details of the requirements for completing an Honours dissertation, as these will vary according to the discipline being studied. The dissertation will normally be at least 15,000 and no more than 20,000 words (or equivalent). Students will be provided with a clear set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria by their supervisor. The dissertation will demonstrate an appropriate level of mastery of the various dimensions at an honours standard of the chosen discipline. This mastery may be demonstrated with a range of possible outcomes that are recognised and benchmarked in the relevant discipline, such as: creative artefact and exegesis; original research and/or performance with critical reflection; critique of primary sources and literature review; musical performance; digital-media project, and so on.
HONS20005 is intended to be the 'research' unit - and while early dissertation writing during the research phase is encouraged - the dissertation will be submitted by the student at the end of HONS20006. HONS20005 will be marked 'RO' (Result Outstanding) pending the result of the examination of the dissertation at HONS2006. HOS20005 will be awarded the same grade as HONS20006 as a consequence of the examination of the dissertation.
As negotiated with the student, their supervisor and the Honours coordinator.
Honours Dissertations are marked using examiners external to the University. Marked Dissertations and examiners' reports will be returned to the students as soon as practicable following the conclusion of the examination process. Examiners are given six weeks in which to read and grade the dissertation.
As negotiated with the supervisor for the relevant discipline.
- Analyse and explain advanced and current specialist knowledge from selected disciplinary perspectives;
- Identify, analyse and evaluate discipline relevant problems and articulate the critical debates surrounding them;
- Communicate cogent arguments and/or research results in appropriate formats;
- Research and deploy evidence, under supervisory guidance, at honours dissertation level; and,
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
